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Show IPL Grove Cloy voices supmmre JAM UPzlLi CSliuSS Pleasant Grove City Council approved a resolution at the recent City Council meeting which gives the city's support to a Utah Power and Light lawsuit against the federal government. The council gave consent to the resolution after listening to arguments by Scott Rasmussen of Utah Power and Light. The city had given its support to UP&L a few years ago when the power company petitioned the government to allow it to purchase hydroelectric power. The government govern-ment declined the petition. The company is now bringing a lawsuit against the government, contending that its customers are taxpayers who contributed to the construction of the dams and hydroelectric units and therefore should benefit from this inexpensive power. At present the hydroelectric power is being sold to municipal power companies. Utah Power and Light is filing the suit in behalf of the cities which want to use the cheaper power. This participation by Pleasant Grove City will not cost anything. It is just the verbal support of the city that the power company needs. Seventy-five per cent of Utah is served by UP&L. More than 120 cities have signed the resolution to support the lawsuit . The compelling reasons for the city to join the lawsuit is to force new allocation of power and to nossibiy lower the rates Pleasant Grove customers pay for electric power. If UP&L should be successful in its suit and was allowed to purchase the cheaper power, it could reduce the power rates the city residents are now paying, according to UP&L officials. - . . The ci't'v may withdraw I'roin'lliTs lawsuit atany lime it wa.fts. The city attorney had told the council that if the city decided at some later date to establish its own municipal pow er system, it would be counter-beneficial for the city to support the UP&L suit. On the other hand, the city might well benefit from the results if the UP&L suit is successful, he slated. The city does not have any plans at this time to establish its own power system, Mayor David Hoklaway said. |